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About Me
- Xerxes
- New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
- Admire John McPhee, Bill Bryson, David Remnick, Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr and James Martin (and most open and curious minds)
31.12.12
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Beaudelaire
One should always be drunk. That’s the great thing, the only question. Not to feel the horrible burden of Time weighing on your shoulders and bowing you to the earth, you should be drunk without respite.
Drunk with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you please. But get drunk.
And if sometimes you should happen to awake, on the stairs of a palace, on the green grass of a ditch, in the dreary solitude of your own room, and find that your drunkenness is ebbing or has vanished, ask the wind and the wave, ask star, bird, or clock, ask everything that flies, everything that moans, everything that flows, everything that sings, everything that speaks, ask them the time; and the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, and the clock will all reply, “It is Time to get drunk! If you are not to be the martyred slaves of Time, be perpetually drunk! With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you please.”
James C. Schall
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James V. Schall, S. J.
Professor Department of Governmentschallj@georgetown.edu |  |
Another Sort of Learning Web SiteJAMES V. SCHALL INDEX OF WEB SITE TOPICS
E-mail address is: schallj@georgetown.edu Mailing Address is: Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-1200 This Web Site's title comes from a book of mine by the same name, Another Sort of Learning. This site is not, however, devoted to the technical subject of "education," but rather to "learning," to anything worth knowing, especially things of the greatest human importance. What the reader of this ANOTHER SORT OF LEARNING WEB SITE will find are numerous suggestions about learning, about reading, about what to read. Many people, in reading what is said to be important, often miss the significance of what they are reading. They also miss a number, not too many, of very wise books that no one else recommends to them.When someone opens this Web Site, he will, on looking at the Index above, find various items, things to read and to know about, things that, when actually read, he will find sometimes fascinating and delightful, sometimes sober and provoking, things of the greatest importance about what is. Likewise, I am a great fan of essays. Many sections listed in the Index will include selected essays, ones that I will change or add to from time to time on this Web Site. My academic background is in political philosophy, itself a discipline that touches about everything. So some of that will be there. Naturally, I am interested religious issues. It often takes a lifetime to manage well one discipline or even one small area of a discipline. Still much is to be said for being interested in many things. Somehow, if you stick to just one thing, you will find that you will not know even that well, as other things are necessary as background or explanation. Nothing is wrong with this. The amount of knowledge currently available to us is simply overwhelming. On the other hand, we are not gods. It is all right to be content with what we can know in the time given to us. The old notion about knowing a "little bit about a lot of things" is not at all a bad idea. The Index of ANOTHER SORT OF LEARNING WEB SITE gives an overview of the material presented here. In addition, along the way, there will be guides to the location of books and essays of, or those suggested by, the author . The first thing we must have, however, is a certain curiosity about things. Samuel Johnson remarked on April 16, 1779, "I am always for getting a boy forward in his learning; for that is a sure good. I would let him at first read any English book which happens to engage his attention; because you have done a great deal when you have brought him to have entertainment from a book. He'll get better books afterwards." ANOTHER SORT OF LEARNING WEB SITE is designed to be a guide for everyone to this "forwardness" in "learning" and to this "afterwards" of "better books." CURRICULUM VITAE -- James V. Schall BORN, JANUARY 20, 1928, IN POCAHONTAS, IOWA. MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS, ORDAINED A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST IN 1963. PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D. C., 20057-1200. E-mail: schallj@georgetown.edu TAUGHT AT THE GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY, ROME, ITALY, 1965-68, SPRING, 1969- 77; AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, FALL, 1969-77. MEMBER, PONTIFICAL COMMISSION ON JUSTICE AND PEACE, ROME, 1977-82; MEMBER, NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE HUMANITIES, OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, 1984-90. M.A. IN PHILOSOPHY, GONZAGA UNIVERSITY, 1955. PH.D. IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, 1960. M.A. IN SACRED THEOLOGY, SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY, 1964. WRITTEN IN VARIOUS JOURNALS IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, EUROPE, AND AUSTRALIA. (SEE BIBLIOGRAPHY, #21). Books REDEEMING THE TIME. NEW YORK: SHEED & WARD, 1968. HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMAN NUMBERS. STATEN ISLAND, N. Y.: ALBA HOUSE, 1971. PLAY ON: FROM GAMES TO CELEBRATIONS. PHILADELPHIA: FORTRESS PRESS, 1971. FAR TOO EASILY PLEASED: A THEOLOGY OF PLAY, CONTEMPLATION, AND FESTIVITY. LOS ANGELES: BENZIGER/MACMILLAN, 1976. THE PRAISE OF 'SONS OF BITCHES': ON THE WORSHIP OF GOD BY FALLEN MEN. SLOUGH, ENGLAND: ST. PAUL PUBLICATIONS, 1978. THE SIXTH PAUL. CANFIELD, OH.: ALBA BOOKS, 1977. WELCOME NUMBER 4,000.000,000. CANFIELD, OH.: ALBA BOOKS, 1977. CHRISTIANITY AND LIFE. SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1981. LIBERATION THEOLOGY. SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1982. CHURCH, STATE, AND SOCIETY IN THE THOUGHT OF JOHN PAUL II. CHICAGO: FRANCISCAN HERALD PRESS, 1982. THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF CHRISTIANITY. SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1983. THE POLITICS OF HEAVEN AND HELL: CHRISTIAN THEMES FROM CLASSICAL, MEDIEVAL, AND MODERN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. LANHAM, MD.: UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA, 1984. UNEXPECTED MEDITATIONS LATE IN THE XXTH CENTURY, CHICAGO: FRANCISCAN HERALD PRESS, 1985. REASON, REVELATION, AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, BATON ROUGE: LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1987. ANOTHER SORT OF LEARNING: HOW FINALLY TO ACQUIRE AN EDUCATION WHILE STILL IN COLLEGE OR ANYWHERE ELSE, CONTAINING SOME BELATED ADVICE ABOUT HOW TO EMPLOY YOUR LEISURE TIME WHEN ULTIMATE QUESTIONS REMAIN PERPLEXING IN SPITE OF YOUR HIGHEST EARNED ACADEMIC DEGREE, TOGETHER WITH SUNDRY BOOK LISTS NOWHERE ELSE IN CAPTIVITY TO BE FOUND. SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1988. RELIGION, WEALTH, AND POVERTY, VANCOUVER, B. C.: FRASER INSTITUTE, 1990. WHAT IS GOD LIKE?: PHILOSOPHERS AND "HERETICKS" ON THE TRIUNE GOD: THE SUNDRY PATHS OF ORTHODOXY FROM PLATO, AUGUSTINE, SAMUEL JOHNSON, NIETZSCHE, CAMUS, AND FLANNERY O'CONNOR, EVEN TO CHARLIE BROWN AND THE WODEHOUSE CLERGY, COLLEGEVILLE, MI.: MICHAEL GLAZER/LITURGICAL PRESS, 1992. IDYLLS AND RAMBLES: LIGHTER CHRISTIAN ESSAYS, SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1994. DOES CATHOLICISM STILL EXIST? STATEN ISLAND, N. Y.: ALBA HOUSE, 1994. AT THE LIMITS OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: FROM "BRILLIANT ERRORS" TO THE THINGS OF UNCOMMON IMPORTANCE. WASHINGTON: THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS, 1996 (paperbound edition, 1998). A PHILOSOPHER IN SOCIETY: THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF MARITAIN. LANHAM, MD.: ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD, 1998. REASON, REVELATION, AND HUMAN AFFAIRS: SELECTED WRITINGS OF JAMES V. SCHALL. EDITED BY MARC GUERRA. LANHAM, MD.: LEXINGTON BOOKS, 2001. ON THE UNSERIOUSNESS OF HUMAN AFFAIRS: TEACHING, WRITING, PLAYING, BELIEVING, LECTURING, PHILOSOPHIZING, SINGING, DANCING. WILMINGTON, DE.: ISIBOOKS,2001.TWO BOOKLETS: 1) JAMES V. SCHALL, S. J., A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO LIBERAL LEARNING (#17 in Index above), 2) A JOURNEY THROUGH LENT. EDITED WITH INTRODUCTION: THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT MAN: JOHN PAUL II TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND FACULTIES. BOSTON: ST. PAUL EDITIONS, 1981. SACRED IN ALL ITS FORMS. BOSTON: ST. PAUL EDITIONS, 1984. OUT OF JUSTICE, PEACE. PASTORALS OF THE GERMAN AND FRENCH BISHOPS. SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1984. G. K. CHESTERTON, COLLECTED WORKS, VOL. IV, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WORLD. SAN FRANCISCO: IGNATIUS PRESS, 1986. (WITH JEROME J. HANUS), STUDIES IN RELIGION AND POLITICS. LANHAM, MD.: UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA, 1986. ON THE INTELLIGIBILITY OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: ESSAYS OF CHARLES N. R. MCCOY. EDITED BY JAMES V. SCHALL AND JOHN J. SCHREMS. WASHINGTON: THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS, 1989. (WITH GEORGE CAREY), ESSAYS IN CHRISTIANITY AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. LANHAM, MD.: UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA, 1984. STUDIES: Marc Guerra, "James V. Schall on Politics and the Problem of Faith and Reason,"Gregorianum, 82 (#2, 2001), 357-83. John Hittinger, "James V. Schall on Faith, Reason, and Politics," in Liberty, Wisdom, and Grace (Lanham. MD.: Lexington Books, 2002), 189-93. Interviews: 1) Heather Roach," "Conversations about Ultimate Questions," The Georgetown Voice, October 19, 1989, 14. 2) Ed Santos, "Interview," Georgetown Magazine, Fall, 1989, 37. 3) Kristen Berg, "Campus Spotlight," The Georgetown Hoya, September 12, 2000.www.thehoya.com/features/091200/features3.htm 4) Bryana Hocking, "In Schall’s Sanctum," The Washington Times, September 6, 2001.www.washtimes.com/culture/20010906-32882928.htm 5) Desmond O’Grady, "Interview: Warning: To Be Up-to-Date Is to Be Out-of-Date," U. S. Catholic, XXXVI (August, 1971), 19-25. Class Syllabi Below are listed the Syllabi of each of the different Courses taught in recent years: 1) Elements of Political Theory, 2) The Political Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, 3) Classical Political Philosophy, 4) Christian and Medieval Political Thought, 5) The Political Philosophy of St. Augustine, 6) Contemporary Writers Interested in the Nature and History of Political Philosophy, 7)Plato's Political Philosophy, 8) Political Theory and Natural Law, 9) The Political Philosophy of Aristotle. 1. ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL THEORY. ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL THEORY/Fall/2002 - 143-117 - Gov. Dp. -- Father J. Schall, S. J. - 657 ICC. Hrs.: M 10 - 11; W 1:20 - 2:20, by Appt. Tel. 7-4006. E-mail: schallj@georgetown.edu - Web: www.moreC.com/schall -- www.georgetown.edu/schall 1) A course designed for undergraduates to acquaint them with political philosophy (in contrast to constitutional, institutional, or area/national studies) as that theoretical discipline has been understood in ancient, medieval, and modern contexts. 2) Method: This course consists in a programmed reading of ten or so books by student and teacher. The student is expected to come to each class having regularly read the assigned sections of each book to gain a general and intelligent acquaintance with how the particular author thought about political things. 3) Classes are conducted in a dialogue fashion. Students are expected to attend each class after having read the assigned matter. This attendance and participation will be the main factor in evaluating the performance of the student. Please do not take this course unless you are willing to do this regular work, attend class on assigned days, and enjoy it. Absence from class is reason for lower or failing grades. Another Sort of Learning discusses class, grades, expectations. Students should read this book privately: 1st half before midterm, 2d by end of semester. 4) A final examination will be given on the assigned day. One mid-term will be given on the last class day before Semester Break about the matter studied up to that date (October 11). Assigned texts or your class notes may be used in any test in this class. 5) One short, four-page, double-spaced, typed term paper will be expected on the last day of class. Subject matter is as follows: A statement of the contents of one chapter or section (student's selection) in Plato, Aristotle, Simon, or other assigned text about how the chapter relates to the whole book and its argument. 1) Some outside reading on the topic chosen, 2) Footnotes, and 3) Bibliography will be expected (N.B.). 6) Books: Plato, Great Dialogues; Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics; Schall, At the Limits of Political Philosophy; Cicero, Selected Writings; Schall, Another Sort of Learning; Simon,General Theory of Authority; Schumacher, A Guide for the Perplexed; Deane, Political and Social Ideas of St. Augustine; Machiavelli, The Prince; Rousseau, Social Contract; Aquinas, Treatise on Law; Bloom, Shakespeare’s Politics; Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil. Titles are in the book store. The bookstore removes them early in October 2. THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Spring, 2002, Government Department, J. Schall, S. J., 143-487. Office, 657, ICC, tel. 7-4006 or 5903. Office Hours, 10-11 Mon.; 1:20-2:20 Wed., or by Appointment. schallj@georgetown.eduweb site -- www.moreC.com/schall/aquinas 1)This is a course designed for upper division undergraduate student. It will consist in a programmed reading and discussion of the significant texts of Thomas Aquinas on political philosophy. (This course is designed to follow a course on the Political Philosophy of Aristotle, though not required for this course). 2) Each student will be expected to write one term paper (two for graduate students) about 15-20 pages, footnoted, bibliographied, typed, proper academic form. Subject matter of each student's paper will be assigned shortly after the beginning of t he semester by the professor. This paper is due the last day of class (that is, last day of class, not test). 3) Students will be expected to attend each class. Absence from class is itself sufficient for lower grades or failure. The student who takes this course is expected to agree to the discipline of regular class attendance after having read the assigned text for each class. Students who do not expect to fulfill this requirement are requested not to take the course. 4) The classes will be conducted generally in a dialogue fashion. The student is expected to devote a reasonable amount of study for each day's class, to read the assigned matterbefore coming to class, to participate in the class on the basis of his reading. The student is thus expected to so discipline his daily study schedule to include approximately two to three hours to each class. 5) The books required for the class are in the bookstore. The student will need to have these books. They are: 1) St. Thomas Aquinas, Signumd, Readings; 2) Kreeft, Summa of the Summa; 3) Chesterton, St. Thomas Aquinas; 4)Aquinas, Commentary on Ethics; 5)Josef Pieper -- an Anthology; 6) Pieper, A Guide to St. Thomas.6) There will also be some books on Aquinas on reserve. Each student is also expected to read Part I of Schall, Another Sort of Learning, on reserve, plus essay on Aquinas. A bibliography will be passed out. Check Thomas Aquinas on line – www.google.com, as well as Library sections on St. Thomas. 3. CLASSICAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Classical Political Philosophy -- 143-449. Fall, 1999, Father J. Schall, S. J. MWF 12:15-1:05 Office Hours: M 10-11, W 1:25-2:20, or by appointment. 657 ICC Tel. 74006, 7-6130. Fall, 1999. schallsj@georgetown.edu – web sites: www.moreC.com/schall –www.georgetown.edu/schall or www.georgetown.edu/faculty/schallj 1) This is a graduate/undergraduate course on Greek and Roman Political Philosophy. 2) Method: The course will consist in a programmed reading by student and teacher of some ten books, in which the student will be expected to read regularly assigned texts for each class. The student should try to keep a private journal or account of matter read. Dates, places, names are important. 3) The class will generally be conducted in a dialogue fashion. The student is expected to attend class regularly (n.b., each class) and a major element (the major element) in his grade will be derived from this regular reading and attendance. Please do not sign up for this course unless you agree to follow these requirement. Absence from class is itself a reason for lower grades or failure. 4) One term paper (two for graduate students) of about fifteen pages, double-spaced, footnoted, bibliography, will be due on the last day of class. This paper should be about a subject in political philosophy based on one of the main authors or on a major idea, such as Roman theory of empire or Plato. A tentative topic will be assigned to each student in class. 5) There will be a final examination on the subject matter of the course on the day assigned in the calendar. The student will be permitted to use assigned texts or class notes for this examination. 6) The books to be read are: Strauss, Argument and Action in Plato’s Laws; Sophocles,Theban Plays; Thucydides, Peloponnesian Wars; Marcus Aurelius, Meditations; Aristotle,Politics; Plato, Gorgias; Last Days; The Laws; Cicero, Selected Political Speeches; Epictetus, Handbook; The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca; J. Pieper, Divine Madness.. Get books before middle of October or Book Store removes them. There will be a reserve list in library. 7) "The decay of political philosophy into ideology reveals itself most obviously in the fact that in both research and teaching, political philosophy has been replaced by the history of political philosophy.... (This) is an absurdity: to replace political philosophy by the history of political philosophy means to replace a doctrine which claims to be true by a survey of more or less brilliant errors." -- Strauss, City and Man, p. 8. 4. CHRISTIAN AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT. Govt. 143-448, Christian and Medieval Pol. Thought, Father Schall, Sp. 2001, Office 657, ICC, Hrs. M. 10-11; W. 1:20-2:20 pm, or by appointment. Tel. 7-4006; 6130. E-mail:schallj@georgetown.edu – Web Sites: www.moreC.com/schall www.georgetown.edu/schall or www.georgetown.edu/faculty/schallj 1) A course in Christian and Medieval Political Theory, approximately Augustine to Marsilius of Padua. 2) Method: This course will consist in a programmed reading of some ten books by student and teacher, in which the student will be expected to come to each class having read regularly assigned sections of each book in order to gain a general and intelligent acquaintance with the thought of this era. 3) Classes are conducted in a dialogue fashion. Students are expected to attend each class after having read the assigned mater. This attendance and reading will be the main factor in evaluating the performance of the student. Please do NOT take this course unless you are willing to do this regular work and attend class on assigned days. Absence from class is itself a reason for a lowering of grades. (My Another Sort of Learning [on Reserve] discusses grades, purpose of class and study, please read if you have not). Students are expected to conduct themselves in an attentive and disciplined manner in each class. 4) A mid-term will be on March 2.; a final examination will be given on the assigned date in Schedule. Students will be able to use assigned texts or notes during this tests. The test will be a straight forward, objective essay test. The student who regularly and carefully reads the assigned texts should have no problem with the test. 5) One fifteen-twenty page academic term paper -- bibliography, footnotes, proper academic form -- will be expected on the last day of class (not on day of test). The professor will assign the topic to each student in due course. 6) Books to be read (to be found in the bookstore, please purchase before middle of March when books are removed; students are expected to possess a copy of books and bring them to class) are: 1) Morrall, Political Thought in Medieval Times; 2) Finnis, Aquinas; 3) O’Donovan, A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought; 4) Gilson, Unity of Philosophical Experience; 5) Dawson, Religion and the Rise of Western Culture; 6) Pernou, Those Terrible Middle Ages; 7) Pieper, A Guide to St. Thomas. [Texts used during previous time course was taught (for bibliographical information): 1) Political Philosophy of St. Augustine, Gateway, 2) Pieper, A Guide to St. Thomas, 3) Pieper, Scholasticism, 4) Derrick, Rule of Peace, 5) Dawson, Religion and the Rise of Western Culture, 6) St. Thomas, Hackett, 7) Adams, Mt. St. Michel and Chartres, 8) Rahner, Church and State in Early Middle Ages, 9) Cambridge History of Medieval Political Philosophy, 10) Lerner, Medieval Political Philosophy.] 5. POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ST. AUGUSTINE, 143-498, Political Philosophy of St. Augustine, Spring, 2000, MWF, Schall, Office, ICC, 657, Government Department, tel. 687-5903, 4006. Hours: M 10; W 1:20-2:20, by appointment. schallj@georgetown.edu www.moreC.com/schall 1) This course will be a consideration of the Writings and Thought of St. Augustine particularly in so far as they refer to questions and issues of political philosophy. 2) The course will consist of a reading of a number of books of Augustine and about Augustine. Each student will be expected to attend each class, having read the assigned text for each class. Absence from class is itself cause for lower or non-passing grade.(Please read in Schall, "Another Sort of Learning" the two essays "What A Student Owes His Teacher" and "Grades"). A student who does not want seriously to commit himself to regular class attendance and reading is requested not to take this course. 3) These books will be found in the book store -- they are: The Confessions, The City of God, Fortin, Elshtain, Deane, Brown, Augustine, Against the Academics; V. Bourke. A number of books and essays on Augustine are on reserve, consult George. Numerous books and essays can be found in the library. Any problem consult professor. The literature by and about Augustine is vast. The student will be expected to have a general idea of Augustine's life and the period in which he lived, as well as of his subsequent influence. 4) Final examination on assigned day. A midterm the class before spring break. The test will be straight-forward. Assigned books or notes can be used. Each student will is to present a researched, reflective essay on some aspect of the Political Thought of St. Augustine, topic assigned by professor. This paper (about 15 pp) should contain bibliography and footnotes, due the last day of class. 5) The classes will be in dialogue fashion. The student should come to each class having read the assigned text, but not worried that somehow he will be asked a question or that he may not know the answers. The purpose is not to frighten or unsettle but to learn and to come to see the fascination in St. Augustine. 6) "Augustine: 'What does it seem to you that we wish to accomplish when we speak?"Adeodatus: "As it occurs to me now, either to teach or to learn." Augustine: "I see, and I agree to one of these points. For it is evident that when we speak, we wish to teach. But how do we learn?" Adeodatus: "How indeed except by asking questions?" Augustine: "Even then, as I understand it, we only wish to teach. For, I ask, do you question for any other reason except that you may teach what you wish to him you question?" Adeodatus: "That is true." -- Augustine, De Magistro, Chapter I. 6. CONTEMPORARY WRITERS INTERESTED IN THE NATURE AND HISTORY OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. -- Gvt. 458 -- MWF -- Schall, Fall, 1998, Office, 657 ICC, Hrs. M 10-11; W 1-2, or by appointment, Tel. 7-4006/5903. 1) This is a course designed to enable the student to read several significant books of writers dealing with what political philosophy is about, especially from its classic origins. Emphasis this semester will be on reason and revelation theorie in politics. 2) There will be one fifteen-twenty page (for graduate students, two) term paper, as assigned by the professor, due last day of class. It should be properly footnoted, bibliographied, in academic form and style. There will be a final examination on the date in academic calendar. 3) Method: Each class will have a specific assignment. The student is expected to have read the assignment before attending class. The class will generally be conducted in dialogue form. Occasionally the student will be expected to present assigned material before the class. The major part of the grade consists in the regularity of class attendance, preparation, response. Each student is encouraged to read the materials on teaching, grading, and reading in Schall, Another Sort of Learning, which, along with other materials for course, is on the library reserve. 4) The books assigned (found in book store, please purchase before end of October as the book store removes them after that time) are the following: 1) Neuhaus, The End of Democracy (Spence), 2) Chesterton, Orthodoxy (Doubleday Image), 3) Tinder, The Political Meaning of Christianity (Harpers), 4) David Walsh, After Ideology, (CUAPress), 5) A. MacIntyre, After Virtue, (Notre Dame), 6) Schall, At the Limits of Political Philosophy, (CUAPress), 7) S. Orr, Jerusalem and Athens (Rowman and Littlefield), 8) C. Pickstock, After Writing: The Liturgical Consummation of Philosophy (Blackwell's), 9) Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind (Simon and Schuster), 10) Solzhenitsyn at Harvard (Ethics and Public Policy). 5) Again, class attendance and preparation mandatory. Please do not take this course if you have problems with class attendance and preparation. The class requires a commitment of time for reading for each class in the student's daily or weekly schedule. 6) "The decay of political philosophy into ideology reveals itself most obviously in the fact that in both research and teaching, political philosophy has been replaced by the history of political philosophy. The substitution can be excused as a well-meaning attempt to prevent, or at least to delay, the burial of a great tradition. In fact it is not merely a half measure but an absurdity: to replace political philosophy by the history of political philosophy means to replace a doctrine which claims to be true by a survey of more or less brilliant errors." -- Leo Strauss, City and Man, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964), pp. 7-8. 7. PLATO'S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. Government, 143-437, Plato's Political Philosophy, Father J. Schall, S. J., Fall, 2000. M 10-11 am, Wed, 1:20-2:20 pm – Office Hours ( 657 ICC) -- or by appointment; tel, 7-4006. Tel.: 7-4006. E-mail schallj@georgetown.edu Web-site: www.moreC.com/schall 1) This class will consist in reading of Platonic dialogues in class. The student is expected to possess a copy of the Collected Works and to have read the assigned text before the class. We will read: 1) The Apology, 2) The Crito, 3) The Phaedo, 4) The Republic, 5) The Gorgias, 6) The Symposium, 7) The Statesman, 8) the Phaedrus, 9) the Laws. We will probably read the "Seventh Letter" and some smaller dialogues. Joseph Pieper’sEnthusiasm and the Divine Madness, is the second required text besides the HackettCollected Works. 2) Class attendance is required. Please do not miss class. Class attendance is a major part of Grades. The class will be conducted in a dialogue fashion. NB: read Schall, Another Sort of Learning, chapters "What A Student Owes His Teacher?" and "Grades" as well as the chapter, "On Teaching the Political Philosophy of Plato" (In book store or on reserve). 3) Many studies on Plato exist in the library. Students should refer to these sources, have their own Platonic collections. There will be a small reserve list at Reserve Shelf in Library. 4) Each student (graduate students two) will be expected to do a fifteen page term paper, footnoted and bibliographied on Plato's Political Thought. The paper should show signs of wide reading and consideration of Platonic works or studies on them. This paper can be on any dialogue or topic and, if the student prefers, the professor will assign topic. This paper is due the last day of class. 5) The student is free to consult Fr. Schall on any item pertaining to class assignment or work. 6) There will be a mid-term on Friday before semester break (Oct. 6) and a final on day assigned in schedule. Books and notes may be used in any test. 7) "Plato died at the age of 81. On the evening of his death he had a Thracian girl play the flute for him. The girl could not find the beat of the nomos. With a movement of his finger, Plato indicated to her the Measure." – Last words on Plato in Eric Voegelin, Order and History: Plato and Aristotle, p. 268.8) Please read on www.moreC.com/schall under classical political philosophy (or in library copy) the essay from The American Scholar, (Summer, 1996), entitled "The Death of Plato." 9) "His (Socrates’) philosophy consists chiefly in exhorting people to virtue as the most valuable thing." – Leo Strauss, Studies in Platonic Political Philosophy, p. 45. 8. POLITICAL THEORY AND NATURAL LAW. Political Theory and Natural Law. Fall, 2002. Gov't 485. J. Schall, S. J., 657 ICC, Hrs, M 10-11; Wed. 1:20-2:20pm, or by appointment. Tel. 7-4006, 5903. Class, MW, 1:15-2:30. E-mail – schallj@georgetown.edu – web sites – www.moreC.com/schall – www.georgetown.edu/schall orwww.georgetown.edu/faculty/schallj 1) This course is designed for undergraduate students to acquaint them with the literature, tradition, and content of classical natural law discussions in political philosophy. 2) Method: The course is a programmed reading of some ten books by student and teacher. The student will be expected to come to each class having read the assigned material. There will be materials on natural law on reserve under my name in library. Classes are conducted in a dialogue fashion. Class attendance is required; missing class is sufficient for lower or failing grades. Please do not take this course if regular class attendance and preparation is not possible or intended. The major element in grades consists in the persistency of regular reading and attendance. (See Schall, Another Sort of Learning, first section, for a description of what the instructor expects from the students -- on Reserve in Library or in bookstore). 3) A mid term will be given the last of class before spring break. A final test will be given on the assigned day in the bulletin on material read. Please expect to be at this test. There will be one term paper, due on the last day of class, fifteen or so pages, proper academic form, which means footnotes, adequate bibliography. The topic will be assigned by the instructor. Graduate students will be expected to do two papers. In all tests, all assigned books can be used. 4) Books: In the bookstore the following books should be available (there will also be books on reserve) -- please purchase before middle of October as book store removes them at that time. 1) Lewis, Mere Christianity; 2) d'Entreves, The Natural Law; 3) Rommen, Natural Law; 4) Finnis, Natural Law and Natural Right; 5) Hittinger, A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory; 6) George, In Defense of Natural Law; 7) Budziszewski,The Case for Natural Law; 8) Maritain, Natural Law; 9) McLean, Common Truths; 10), Simon, Tradition of Natural Law. 5) Thomas Aquinas: "To the natural law belongs everything to which a man is inclined according to his nature." (I-II, 94, 3). 6) Marcus Tullius Cicero: "True law is reason, right and natural, commanding people to fulfil their obligation and prohibiting and deterring them from doing wrong. Its validity is universal; it is immediate and eternal. Its commands and prohibitions apply effectively to good men, and those uninfluenced by them are bad. Any attempt to supercede this law, to repeal any part of it, is sinful; to cancel it entirely is impossible. Neither the Senate nor the Assembly can exempt us from its demands; we need no interpreter or expounder of it but ourselves. There will not be one law in Rome, one in Athens, or one now and one later, but all nations will be subject all the time to this one changeless and everlasting law." -- On the Commonwealth, III, 33. 9. THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARISTOTLE. The Political Philosophy of Aristotle. Government 143-456, Fall, 2001. Schall. Office: 657 ICC, Hours: M. 10-11; W. 1:20-2:20, or by appointment. Tel. 7-4006; 6130: E-mail, schallj@georgetown.edu; Web Sites: www.moreC.com/schall www.georgetown.edu/schall 1) This course is a study of the principal elements in Aristotle's political philosophy, including the place of politics in Aristotle's general theory. In addition to the Politics, we will read The Ethics, The Poetics, and passages from The Rhetoric, the works that Aristotle designated as practical sciences. One of the purposes of the course is to learn what is a practical science. 2) Method, This course will generally be conducted in a dialogue fashion. The student is expected to attend class regularly. Repeat: the student is expected to attend class regularly. Absence from class is itself reason for a lower or failing grade. The student is expected to be present in class after having carefully read each class assignment. Each student is expected to set aside sufficient time for regular assignments and to order his life so that he can do the required material. Please expect to do this if you take this course. 3) There will be both a midterm on October 5 of the matter studied till that time and a final scheduled examination on day assigned. Each student will be expected to possess a copy of the assigned books. There will be a Reserve List in the Library of other materials on Aristotle. One 15-20 page term paper (two for graduate students) will be required, topic assigned by professor, due last day of class. 4) There are seven required books, to be found in the bookstore: 1) The Politics, 2) The Ethics, 3) The Rhetoric and the Poetics, 4) Arnhart, Aristotle on Political Reasoning, 5) Bodeus, The Political Dimensions of Aristotle's Ethics, 6) Strauss, City and Man, 6) Henry Veatch, Rational Man, and 7) Robert Sokolowski’s Commentary on Aristotle’sPolitics. (Mode of acquiring will be announced in class.) The bookstore usually removes these books early in October. 5) I will at least mention five books about Aristotle (there are gillions) that would be well to read: 1) Henry Veatch, Aristotle, 2) Eric Voegelin, Plato and Aristotle, 3) R. G. Mulgan,Aristotle's Political Theory, 4) S. Salkever, Finding the Mean, and 5) Sir Ernest Barker,The Political Thought of Plato and Aristotle. M. Adler's Aristotle for Everybody is also good as is Mary Nichols’ Citizens and Statesmen. The literature on Aristotle’s Politics is vast. 6) "The direction of Aristotle to those that study politicks, is, first to examine and understand what has been written by the ancients on government; then to cast their eyes round upon the world, and consider by what causes the prosperity of communities is visibly influenced, and why some are worse, and others better administered. "The same method must be pursued by him who hopes to become eminent in any other part of knowledge. The first task is to search the books, the next to contemplate nature. He must first possess himself of the intellectual treasures which the diligence of former ages has accumulated, and then endeavour to encrease them by his own collections. "The mental disease of the present generation, is impatience of study, contempt of the great masters of ancient wisdom, and a disposition to rely wholly upon unassisted genius and natural sagacity." -- Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, Saturday, September 7, 1751. ROMAN CATHOLIC POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Government, 143- , Spring, 2003.1) This is a new course offering. It is designed to address the question of the relationship of Roman Catholicism to Political Philosophy. The course is naturally related to the Natural Law Course, to Aristotle, Plato, Augustine, and Aquinas. It is also aware of the "social teachings of the Church," though this is not its primary focus. The course will consider mainly contemporary writers who have addressed this topic. 2) The following books will be considered: 1) Robert Kraynak, Christian Faith and Modern Democracy, 2) Daniel Mahoney, De Gaulle: Statesmanship, Grandeur, and Modern Democracy; 3) David Walsh, After Ideology, 4) Peter Augustine Lawler, Aliens in America: The Strange Truth about Our Souls," 5) John Hittinger, Liberty, Wisdom, and Grace, 6) Tracey Rowland, Culture and Thomistic Philosophy, 7) Yves Simon, The Philosophy of Democratic Government, 8) John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, Evangelium Vitae, Veritatis Splendor, Fides et Ratio, 9) Leo Strauss, What Is Political Philosophy?10) Michael Federici, Eric Voegelin, 11) John Milbank and Catherine Pickstock, Truth in Aquinas. (All books tentative). Also James V. Schall, Reason, Revelation, and the Foundations of Political Philosophy and At the Limits of Political Philosophy. Book List Schall Books in Print, Prices, and Where to OrderFor books: Consult: ANOTHER SORT OF LEARNING (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988), 299 pp. $12.95. (From P.O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO, 80522, $3 postage). ISBN 0-89870-183-x AT THE LIMITS OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: FROM "BRILLIANT ERRORS" TO THINGS OF UNCOMMON IMPORTANCE (Washington: The Catholic University of America Press, 1996). 272 pp. $44.95, ISBN 0-8132-0832-7; paperback, ISBN 0-8132-0922-6, $19.95. (From The Catholic University of America Press, P. O. Box 4852, Hampden Station, Baltimore, MD. 21211). CHRISTIANITY AND POLITICS (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1981), 339 pp. $5.95. (From 50 St. Paul Ave., Boston, MA., 02130). ISBN 0-8198-1407-5 CHURCH, STATE, AND SOCIETY IN THE THOUGHT OF JOHN PAUL II (Chicago: Franciscan Herald, 1982), 202 pp. $7.50. (From Franciscan Press, Quincy College, Quincy, IL., 62301-2699, $3 postage). ISBN 0-8199-0838-X DOES CATHOLICISM STILL EXIST? (Staten Island, N. Y.: Alba House, 1994), 260 pp. $13.95. (From 2187 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, N. Y., 10314-9976, tel. 1-800-343-ALBA (2522), $3.75 postage). ISBN 0-8189-0694-4 IDYLLS AND RAMBLES: LIGHTER CHRISTIAN ESSAYS (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994), 240 pp. (From P. O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO, 80522, $3 postage). ISBN 0-89870-456-1 JACQUES MARITAIN: THE PHILOSOPHER IN SOCIETY (Lanham, MD.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997. (From Rowman & Littlefield, 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD., 20706, ISBN 0847686833, $52 cloth; $19.95 paper). LIBERATION THEOLOGY (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982), 402 pp. $13.95. (From P. O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO, 80522, $3 postage). ISBN O-89870-006-X ON THE UNSERIOUSNESS OF HUMAN AFFAIRS. Wilmington, DE.: ISIBooks, 2001. 189 pp. ISBN 1-882926-63-3. (PO 4431, Wilmington, DE., 19807). $24.95. REASON, REVELATION, AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY(Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1987), 264 pp. $27.50) (From LSU Press, Baton Rouge, LA., 70809). ISBN O-8071-1303-4 REDEEMING THE TIME (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1968), 240 pp. $2. (From Theological Book Service, 7373 S. Lovers Lane Rd., Franklin, WI., 53132, tel. 1-800-558-0580). LC 68-13845 RELIGION, WEALTH, AND POVERTY (Vancouver, B. C.: Fraser Institute, 1990), 224 pp. $14.95. (From Fraser Institute, 626 Bute Street, Vancouver, B. C., V6E 3M1, Canada, $3 postage). ISBN 0-88975-112-9 SCHALL ON CHESTERTON: TIMELY ESSAYS ON TIMELESS PARADOXES, (Washington: The Catholic University of America Press, 2000. 258 pp. $ 24.95 ISBN 0-8132-0963-3. (620 Michigan Ave, Washington, DC, 20064). UNEXPECTED MEDITATIONS LATE IN THE XXTH CENTURY (Quincy, IL.: Franciscan Press, 1985), 142 pp. $15. (From Franciscan Press, Quincy College, Quincy, IL., 62301-2699, $3 postage). ISBN 0-8199-0885-1 WHAT IS GOD LIKE?: PHILOSOPHERS AND 'HERETICKS' ON THE TRIUNE GOD: THE SUNDRY PATHS OF ORTHODOXY FROM PLATO, AUGUSTINE, SAMUEL JOHNSON, NIETZSCHE, CAMUS, AND FLANNERY O'CONNOR, EVEN UNTO CHARLIE BROWN AND THE WODEHOUSE CLERGY (Collegeville, MI.: The Liturgical Press/Michael Glazer, 1992), 250 pp. $14.95. (From PO Box 7500 St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, MI., 56321-7500, $3 postage). ISBN 0-8146-5020-1 -- An edition of this book was published in Manila, P.I., by St. Paul's, 1995. (From St. Paul's, 7708 St. Paul Road, SAV, Makati, 1203, Metro Manila, Philippines, Fax (632) 890-7131. ISBN 971-504-338-0 Booklets: A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO LIBERAL LEARNING (Wilmington, DE.: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1997). 64 pp. $6,95. ISBN 1-882926-53-6 (ISIBooks, PO 4431, Wilmington, DE, 19807). A JOURNEY THROUGH LENT (London: The Catholic Truth Society, 1976). 24 pp. $1.80. (38/40 Eccleston Square, London, SW1V 1PD, England). Some of these books are clearly devoted to specific topics. I might add that someone just wanting to know something about the author's general outlook, I might suggest the following short books, not all of which are still in print: 1) Another Sort of Learning; 2) The Praise of 'Sons of Bitches': On the Worship of God by Fallen Men (this odd title comes in part from Arthur Miller); 3) Play on: From Games to Celebrations; 4) Idylls and Rambles: Lighter Christian Essays, 5) What Is God Like?, 6) Unexpected Meditations Late in the XXth Century, 7) Schall on Chesterton, and 8) On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs.. |
FR. SCHALL TRIBUTE - The Hoya
Fr. Kevin O'Brien, S.J. - FR. SCHALL TRIBUTE - Fr. Schall Tribute - The Hoya
I was a junior at Georgetown back in 1986 when I took “Elements of Political Theory” with Fr. James Schall, S.J. He introduced me, and by now thousands of other Georgetown students, to Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas. As he wanted, I would have to return again and again to the texts to really understand what the ancients were saying. In his classroom, I became captivated by the idea of virtue as the measure of human character. Later, when I was in law school, I would thank Jim for introducing me to the Socratic method, so favored by law professors in their first-year courses.
After decades of teaching at Georgetown, Fr. Schall will retire at the end of this semester. He will return to California, where he first joined the Jesuits in 1948. The gratitude of many will carry him westward.
Times of transition in the Jesuit community prompt me to reflect more intentionally about the Jesuits who inspired me to join their ranks and who have sustained me in my commitment. More than ever, I realize that I stand on very broad shoulders and rest in even larger hearts. One of the reasons I am a Jesuit is because of men like Fr. Schall, whom I have had the privilege of calling a brother.
A religious community like the Jesuits is based on a fundamental premise: We are much better together than we are by ourselves. I did not take that insight to heart as an undergraduate. In my 20s, I was not very good at commitment, always thinking that there was something or someone better around the corner. I embraced an individualism that basically put me at the center of the universe.
The Society of Jesus helped me to grow up. With the Jesuits, I have realized the satisfaction that comes from depth of commitment. Relationships and work are so much more meaningful when based on lasting, mutual commitment. While once I worried that commitment would lead me to miss out on something, I realized the greater loss that comes with not committing to anyone or anything at all. Moreover, in the Jesuit community, I have experienced the joy of being part of a shared endeavor greater than myself. The vows of poverty, chastity and obedience unite me to my Jesuit brothers near and far, and liberate me from excessive self-preoccupation so that we can better serve others together.
Fr. Schall is a humble man, reticent about accolades and attention. In his goodbyes, he will undoubtedly point to others — to God first, of course, through whom all things are possible. But he can also point to fellow Jesuits, colleagues, students and alumni with whom he has shared his life here. He too can recognize the very broad shoulders on which he has stood — some of whom are buried down the hill at the Jesuit cemetery.
There is a certain humility, too, that comes with taking leave. I’m reminded of that every time I walk by the graveyard where some of my mentors are buried. Over the centuries, with countless leave-takings, the work goes on here on this hilltop. All that we are asked to do is to leave a place better than when we found it and to invite others into the ongoing project of giving glory to God and serving others. Fr. Schall has done that and more. In his retirement from teaching, he can relish all the good that continues to be done through the people he has influenced along the way.
The Jesuit graveyard teaches me another lesson. If you look at the headstones, they are all the same, except for the names and dates. In death, we do not fall into anonymity; we fall in line, together, side by side. Better together than we are by ourselves.
Good Start
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12 Really Stupid Things I Never Want To Do Again
Posted: 12/29/11 01:13 PM ET
Last year I listed 12 things I knew at age 50 that I wish I had known at 25. Now I'm a year older. And if I'm not wiser, at least I'm a bit more experienced. So here are 12 really stupid things I've done that I never want to do again. Maybe you've done some of them, too. But I'll bet we'd both be happier if we didn't...
1. Compare. Ever heard the saying "Compare and despair"? Comparing yourself to someone else usually means that you imagine the other person is better off, more satisfied -- in a word, happier. But here's the problem: We end up comparing what we know about our life, which is a mixed bag of good and bad, with a fantasy of someone else's supposedly "perfect" life. Why do we do this? Because we know all about our own problems, but other people's problems are harder to see. As a result, our real life always loses out. That leads to despair. Besides, there's probably someone comparing his or her life to your supposedly perfect one -- which shows you how ridiculous it all is.
2. "Should" on Yourself. It's devilishly easy to imagine yourself making a choice that would have taken you to a different place in your life. I should have married this person; I should have taken that job; I should have moved; I should have blah, blah, blah. This is called "shoulding all over yourself." (Say it aloud and the negative meaning becomes clearer.) Reflecting on our choices is an important way to grow, but you can't live your real life if you're busy living in your "should have" life. You'll end up torturing yourself. Jesus of Nazareth once said you can't serve two masters. You can't live two lives either.
3. Get People to Like You. I spent all of my teens, most of my 20s, a great deal of my 30s and too much of my 40s trying to get people to like me. But forcing people's affection rarely works. Plus, it takes too much energy to tailor yourself to what you think people will like (which is impossible to figure out anyway). Your true friends like you already. Be open to change and growth by all means; but treasure friends who love you for who you are. St. Francis de Sales, a lighthearted 17th-century saint, once said: "Be who you are and be that perfectly well."
4. Interrupt. We all think we're good listeners. We're not. Many of us are absolutely terrible listeners, impatiently waiting for our turn to speak, confident that our next utterance is the solution to everyone's problems or the most interesting of all the commentary yet offered. But you can't contribute intelligently to any conversation if you're not listening what the other person is saying. Interrupting someone says, "I have no interest in even letting you finish your thought." As my sister tells her children, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
5. Worry About How You Look. I cut myself shaving: Is the blood still showing? I have a zit: Is it getting bigger or going away? I need a haircut: Should I get one today or tomorrow? Are these pants too short? Too long? Who cares? Sure, you need to look presentable for your job and a decent appearance is a sign of respect to those around you. But if your friends are overly concerned about your clothes, and judge you on that basis, they may not be the best friends for you. And who in their right mind cares what strangers think about your clothes, unless you're a fashion model? Spend less time thinking about your outside and more about your inside.
6. Work Constantly. We are immersed in a culture of productivity, which says that we are what we do. That's why the first question out of someone's mouth upon meeting a stranger is often "So what do you do?" We also measure ourselves by how much money we have, or make. Thus, discussions about salary are a big taboo. You can ask someone about their facelift or their divorce, but not what they earn. Why? Because it's the default measure of worth, and it ruthlessly places people on a social ladder. If someone makes more than we do, we may feel "less than." Look, everyone's got to work. But if value is gauged by wealth, then when we make less, we feel less valuable as human beings, which is tragic. Nelson Mandela didn't make much money when he was imprisoned in South Africa; was he less valuable? Plus, if we are what we do, when we're not working we're nothing. This kind of thinking creates a skewed measure of "value." Stop driving yourself nuts with the trap of constant work.
7. Fail to Give People a Break. Hey, surly person behind the drugstore counter: Why didn't you say thanks when you handed me my change? Hey, barista, why are you being so rude? Stop and think. Maybe it's because they're underpaid; they hate their low-paying job; their mother is dying. Remember that behind those frowning faces are full lives. Remember too, that all these people all beloved creatures of God, with their own human dignity, and holy in their own way -- yes, holy. When the Book of Genesis said that God looked at everything and said, "It was good," he meant people, too. Even the angry barista. Give them their dignity by giving them a break.
8. Complain About Minor Illnesses. If you've got a serious or chronic illness, you need to share your struggles and frustrations with your physician, with friends and family, or even a therapist. You need support. But do you have a cold that has hung on for days and makes you phlegmy? When you bend over like this does your back ache because you pulled a muscle in the gym? No one really wants to hear about minor illnesses. Everyone gets sick, for Pete's sake. In the words of the great prophets, suck it up.
9. Be a Jerk. You're tired. You're rushed. You've got a cold. You're late. You're angry about something your boss said. Yes, you're miserable. That doesn't mean you have to be a jerk to everyone else. It really doesn't. Sure, share your frustrations and struggles with close friends, but don't make everyone else's life more miserable by passing on your misery. Once, I joked to a friend, "Boy, my life is such a cross!" "Yes," he said, "But for you or others?"
10. Avoid Doing the Right Thing. It's no fun to call a friend who is in a bad mood because she's lost her job. It's no fun to take responsibility for making a mistake. It's no fun to speak out against racism, sexism or homophobia and stand up for those being mocked. It's not fun, it takes effort; but you know it's the right thing to do. Do it anyway. If you don't, you'll feel terrible about yourself, and that's really no fun.
11. Make Fun of People. Nothing brings me lower than a few minutes of mocking another person. (Particularly if the person is not present.) But the snappy putdown has a high value in our culture, and famous snubs (say, of one famous writer to another) are repeated, and treasured like beautiful jewels. Much of our current political climate consists of politicians mocking people in the other party. (That's been a big help in this country, hasn't it?) Malicious speech is an easy way to wound. If you feel like you're powerless against badmouthing someone, ask yourself three questions when it comes to commenting on another: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true?
12. Be Hard on Yourself. One of my Jesuit mentors used to say, "Be easy with yourself, Jim." If you're reading this list, and taking it at all seriously, you may be beating yourself up about stupid things that you've done in the past. (Believe me, my list is just as long as yours.) But you also want to change yourself, which is good. So be careful to "trust in the slow work of God," as the Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin used to say. (He was also a paleontologist, so he knew about things moving really slowly.) Or if you don't believe in God, trust in slow work, period.
If you ever get discouraged about your rate of change, just think about trees -- yes, trees. In the summer they're green. In the fall they're red. And no one sees them change.
James Martin, SJ is a Jesuit priest, culture editor of America and author of "Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life."
Dave Barry
2012
It was a cruel, cruel year — a year that kept raising our hopes, only to squash them flatter than a dead possum on the interstate.Example: This year the “reality” show “Jersey Shore,” which for six hideous seasons has been a compelling argument in favor of a major Earth-asteroid collision, finally got canceled, and we dared to wonder if maybe, just maybe, we, as a society, were becoming slightly less stupid.
But then, WHAP, we were slapped in our national face by the cold hard frozen mackerel of reality in the form of the hugely popular new “reality” show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” which, in terms of intellectual content, makes “Jersey Shore” look like “Hamlet.”
Another example: As the year began, the hottest recording artist was the brilliant singer-songwriter Adele, whose popularity made us
think that maybe, just maybe, after years of rewarding overhyped auto-tuned dreck, we were finally developing more sophisticated musical tastes, and then ...
WHAP, we were assaulted from all sides by the monster megahit video “Gangnam Style,” in which a Korean man prances around a variety of bizarre Korean settings riding an imaginary Korean horse and shouting a song that, except for the words “Eh, sexy lady,” is entirely in Korean.
It was that kind of year. Remember back in 2011, when the big sex scandal involved Anthony Weiner, the ferret-like congressperson who committed political suicide by tweet? We all thought, “Oh, well, another Washington politician who wants to regulate everything except his own personal ding-dong. At least there are SOME institutions, such as the Secret Service, the CIA and the Army, where males in positions of responsibility can control their ...”
WHAP.
Did anything good come out of 2012? Maybe. Just maybe. Consider: For years now, Washington has been paralyzed by bitterly partisan gridlock, unable and unwilling to act in the face of a looming, potentially disastrous economic crisis. But this year, we, the people, finally did something about it. We went to the polls, and we made our decision. Which is why now, as the year ends, we can look forward to a future in which Washington is ...
WHAP.
So, okay, basically we need to forget about 2012 as soon as possible. But just so we can remember exactly what it is we need to forget, let’s pour ourselves a stiff drink and take a look back at the train wreck we’re staggering away from, starting with ...
January
... in which President Obama, in the State of the Union address, boldly rebuts critics who charge that his economic policies have been a failure by displaying the scalp of Osama bin Laden, which a White House aide carries in a special briefcase.
Meanwhile the race for the Republican presidential nomination, which began in approximately 2003, continues to be a spicy political gumbo of excitement. The emerging front runner is Mitt Romney, who combines a strong résumé of executive experience with the easygoing natural human warmth of a parking meter. Still in contention, however, is Newt Gingrich, whose popularity surges briefly, only to wane when voters begin to grasp the fact that he is Newt Gingrich. This opens the door for Rick Santorum, whose strong suit is that he has a normal first name, and who apparently at one point was a senator or governor of Pennsylvania or possibly Vermont.
Abroad, an Iranian nuclear scientist is killed in a suspicious bomb blast. Responding to accusations that the United States was behind the killing, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declares “we had nothing to do with it,” adding that if any more Iranian nuclear scientists are killed, “we will have had nothing to do with that, either.”
In the new year’s first major disaster, the Mediterranean cruise ship Costa Concordia goes way off course, hits a rock and sinks. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is immediately relieved of command and placed in charge of the Italian economy.
The economic news remains bad in ...
February
... as American motorists struggle to afford ever-higher gasoline prices, prompting a pledge from President Obama to do “whatever it takes” to bring relief at the pump, “including killing Osama bin Laden again.” Mitt Romney responds that he, more than any other candidate, understands the consumers’ pain over this issue, since he owns “at least 45 cars.”
In Spain and Greece, hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets in protest against government-imposed austerity measures necessitated by the fact that for the past five years pretty much nobody in Spain or Greece has done anything except take to the streets in protest.
Tensions between the United States and Pakistan mount after eyewitnesses in Waziristan claim that an unmanned U.S. Predator drone robbed a convenience store. Meanwhile, in what international observers see as a red flag, Iran places an ad on Craigslist stating, “WE PAY CASH FOR NUCLEAR BOMB MATERIALS.”
In sports, a little-known athlete named Jeremy Lin scores numerous points in a professional basketball game despite having graduated from Harvard. Instantly, he becomes a bigger international star than all of the Kardashians combined. His image appears everywhere — on TV, magazine covers, T-shirts, etc. — and for a brief period, he is the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination. Then, suddenly — Poof! — he vanishes without a trace. Looking back on it, we’re not 100 percent sure that “Jeremy Lin” ever really existed.
In other sports news, Indianapolis, shedding its “hick town” image, shows that it is truly a world-class city as it hosts Super Bowl XLVI, in which the Giants seal a dramatic 21-17 victory when Ahmad Bradshaw, with 57 seconds left, reaches the end zone by vaulting over a cow that wandered onto the field.
Speaking of dramatic, in ...
March
... the endless slog for the Republican presidential nomination reaches “Super Tuesday,” with voters going to the polls in 12 states, including New Hampshire and South Carolina, which have already held primaries but can no longer remember whom they voted for. It is now clear that Romney has won the nomination, but Gingrich vows to continue his campaign, lurching gamely onward despite the tranquilizer darts fired into his neck by his own advisers.
In Florida, the shooting death of Trayvon Martin sets off a passionate, weeks-long national debate among politicians, journalists, pundits, talk-show hosts, activists, celebrities, bloggers, anti-gun groups, pro-gun groups, Al Sharpton and millions of ordinary citizens, not a single one of whom knows what actually happened.
In Europe, the economic crisis continues to worsen as the government of Greece, desperate for revenue, is forced to lease the Parthenon to Hooters. Meanwhile Moody’s Investors Service officially downgrades the credit rating of Spain to “putrid” after an audit reveals that the national treasury consists entirely of Groupons.
In the Middle East, tensions rise between the United States and Pakistan after an unmanned Predator drone destroys the only working toilet in Waziristan.
In sports, the National Football League imposes stiff penalties on the New Orleans Saints following the shocking revelation that some Saints players might have deliberately committed acts of violence against opposing players for monetary gain, which is of course totally contrary to the spirit of professional football. Commissioner Roger Goodell states that the NFL is also investigating disturbing allegations that players sometimes deliberately knock their opponents to the ground via a violent tactic known as “tackling.”
The scandals continue in ...
April
... when the U.S. Secret Service acknowledges that agents sent to Colombia to provide security for President Obama at the Summit of the Americas allegedly engaged in some unauthorized summiting, if you catch our drift. The agents are immediately recalled to the United States and reassigned to former President Clinton.
Abroad, a closely watched attempt by North Korea to test a long-range rocket capable of carrying a nuclear warhead ends in an embarrassing failure when, moments before the scheduled launch, the rocket is eaten by North Korean citizens.
Meanwhile in Waziristan, tensions continue to mount when an al-Qaeda safe house is destroyed by an unmanned Predator drone missile that apparently gained access by pretending to deliver a pizza.
In finance, Moody’s downgrades Spain’s credit rating from “putrid” to “rancid” when the Spanish government, attempting to write a check, is unable to produce a valid photo ID. Meanwhile the Greek parliament, meeting in an emergency session on the worsening economic crisis, votes to give heroin a try.
In domestic business news, Facebook, a company with a business model that nobody really understands, spends $1 billion to buy Instagram, another company with a business model that nobody really understands. Since everybody involved is about 19 years old, Wall Street concludes this must be a good idea.
In golf, Bubba Watsonwins a dramatic Masters tournament in a sudden-death playoff when Louis Oosthuizen, attempting a putt on the par-4 10th hole, suddenly dies, thereby incurring a three-stroke penalty. Elsewhere in sports, NFL Commissioner Goodell vows to investigate reports that some members of the New Orleans Saints have, during games, deliberately called opposing players bad names, which Goodell notes “could cause low self-esteem.”
On a sad note, beloved entertainer Dick Clark passes away, although he will continue to host his popular New Year’s Eve special.
Speaking of sad, in ...
May
... Newt Gingrich finally suspends his presidential campaign, despite an emotional plea to keep fighting
from his base of supporters, namely Mrs. and Mrs. Elrod Pomfurter of Oklahoma City, who, after months of deliberation, had just invested in a bumper sticker.
In other political news, President Obama, who supported same-sex marriage when he ran for the Illinois Senate in 1996 but opposed it when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, clarifies his evolving position, which is that he once again fully supports same-sex marriage, for now. Mitt Romney reaffirms his long-standing position on the issue, which is that he is in favor of sex during marriage, but only at night.
Voters in the French presidential election, rejecting the austerity program of incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy, choose, as their new leader, Charlie Sheen. In other European economic crisis news, Greece, seeing a way out of its financial woes, invests all of its remaining money in the initial public offering of Facebook stock, which immediately drops faster than Snooki’s underpants.
In sports, Usain Bolt, running in his final tuneup race before the Olympics, wins the Kentucky Derby.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, having dealt with all of the city’s other concerns — disaster preparation, for example — turns his attention to the lone remaining problem facing New Yorkers: soft drinks. For far too long, these uncontrolled beverages have roamed the city in vicious large-container packs, forcing innocent people to drink them and become obese. Mayor Bloomberg’s plan would prohibit the sale of soft drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces, thereby making it impossible to consume larger quantities, unless of course somebody bought two containers, but the mayor is confident that nobody except him would ever be smart enough to think of that.
Another major health-related story breaks in ...
June
... when the U.S. Supreme Court, handing down its much-anticipated ruling on Obamacare, decides by a 5 to 4 vote that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional. Moments after the decision is announced, the justices discover that, because of a clerical error, the document they have spent the past three months reviewing is actually the transmission-repair manual for a 1997 Hyundai Sonata. By a 9 to 0 vote, they decide to say nothing more about this.
In other domestic news, San Francisco, not wishing to be outdone by New York in the field of caring about the public welfare, bans beverage containers altogether, requiring restaurants to serve soft drinks by pouring them directly into their customers’ mouths.
Abroad, England celebrates the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II with a massive Diamond Jubilee blowout bash lasting several days, at the end of which members of the royal family are found wandering around naked as far away as Croatia. Also many of the Crown Jewels are covered with what appears to be Vaseline.
In the worsening European economic crisis, Greece announces a new bailout plan that hinges on persuading Germany to buy what Prime Minister Lucas Papademos describes as “a buttload of Tupperware.”
Tensions in Waziristan mount still higher amid reports that an unmanned Predator drone missile has been roaming the province engaging in unprotected sex.
In sports, major league baseball fans are treated to an unusual spate of no-hitters, all thrown by Usain Bolt. Roger Goodell announces that the NFL is investigating disturbing allegations that some members of the New Orleans Saints do not sing during the national anthem.
Speaking of disturbing, in ...
July
... the Mexican presidential election — won by Enrique Peña Nieto of the wonderfully named Institutional Revolutionary Party — is tainted by allegations of voting fraud after independent observers note that the “optical scanners” used to count ballots are in fact Sunbeam toasters. Mexican election officials conduct a recount and conclude that Peña Nieto has indeed won the election fair and square, as well as the election that will take place in 2018.
In Moscow, three members of the Russian all-woman punk-rock group Pussy Riot go on trial for engaging in an anti-government protest. Their cause is adopted by a variety of concerned organizations, including Amnesty International and the U.S. Secret Service.
A tragic fatal drama plays out on the streets of New York City, where police officers fire 183 bullets into a man who, according to witnesses, was about to take a sip from a Big Gulp, which he apparently obtained in New Jersey. The shooting is defended by Mayor Bloomberg, who notes that if the officers had not acted quickly, the man “could have placed himself in very real danger of becoming obese.”
In science news, a group of physicists announces that, after decades of research costing billions of dollars, they believe they have confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson, which according to them is an extremely exciting tiny invisible thing next to which all the other bosons pale by comparison. This is breathlessly reported as major news by journalists who majored in English and whose knowledge of science is derived exclusively from making baking-soda volcanoes in third grade. Back in the lab, the physicists enjoy a hearty scientific laugh, then resume the important work of thinking up names for exciting new invisible things they can announce the discovery of.
In London, the Olympics get under way with a spectacular opening ceremony, climaxing in the dramatic lighting of the Olympic torch by an unmanned Predator drone, which also takes out the entire Pakistani team. The only glitch in the ceremony occurs when a streaker runs onto the track and passes out. He is identified by police as Prince Philip, still in Diamond Jubilee mode.
The partying continues in ...
August
... when Hurricane Isaac fails to dampen the mood in Tampa at the wild and crazy spontaneous wacky funfest that is the Republican National Convention. The Republicans — eager to disprove the stereotype that they are the party of old, out-of-touch rich white men — give their highest-visibility prime-time TV spot to: Clint Eastwood. Clint wows the delegates by delivering a series of fascinating sentence fragments to a chair that he either does or does not realize has nobody sitting on it.
In other convention highlights, the Republicans declare their support for the Middle Class and pass a platform calling on the nation to get the hell off their lawn.
Tensions continue to rise in the Middle East when Iran unveils a new surface-to-surface ballistic missile named “Conqueror,” which, according to an Iranian spokesman, will be used for “agriculture.” Elsewhere in the troubled region, an unmanned Predator drone hacks Waziristan’s Twitter account and posts pictures of itself naked.
In the European economic crisis, an increasingly desperate Greece offers to have sex with Germany.
Closer to home, suspicions that the Mexican military may be involved with drug trafficking are heightened when a U.S. surveillance satellite photographs a Mexican army convoy transporting what appears to be a 200-foot doobie.
In space news, NASA scientists cheer as the Curiosity Mars rover, which was launched from Cape Canaveral in November 2011, finally makes a safe landing. The cheers quickly fade, however, when an analysis of images transmitted back by Curiosity indicate that because of a glitch in the navigational software — which coincidentally is the same type used in the soon-to-be-released iPhone 5 — the Rover has actually landed in Waco, Tex.
In sports, Usain Boltdominates the London Olympics, picking up gold medals in three sprint events and winning a world record eight seats in the House of Lords. Great Britain’s team ignites a national celebration of patriotism, winning medals in many events, including rowing, paddling, pedaling, croquet, darts, skiffles, whist, the pudding toss, the 50-meter lawn rake and the men’s umbrella furl.
Speaking of celebrating, in ...
September
... the Democrats gather in Charlotte, N.C., for their convention, during which they declare their near-carnal passion for the Middle Class and celebrate the many major achievements of the Obama administration, including the killing of Osama bin Laden, solar energy, the winning of the War on Terror by killing Osama bin Laden, the Chevy Volt, bold presidential leadership in the form of making the difficult decision to order the killing of Osama bin Laden, wind power, and many, many other major things that the administration has achieved, such as killing Osama bin Laden. The Democrats acknowledge that the economy is not totally 100 percent “there” yet, but promise to continue moving steadfastly forward with their relentless attacks on the root cause of economic stagnation and continued high unemployment, namely, George W. Bush.
Abroad, the big story is a deadly 9/11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. It soon becomes apparent that the attack either was or was not a spontaneous protest to a movie that either does or does not actually exist, or possibly it was an organized terrorist attack that either did or did not involve al-Qaeda and either could or could not have been prevented if there had been better intelligence, which maybe there was, or maybe there was not, although if there was, it was not acted on, possibly for political reasons. Or not. But beyond these basic facts, little is clear. The White House issues a strong statement assuring the nation that President Obama was not in any way involved in this, “or anything else that may or may not become known.”
In European economic news, Greece abandons the euro in favor of a new currency, the gyro, which is backed by some kind of grayish meat.
In labor news, Chicago teachers go on strike over controversial proposed contract changes that would allow the school board to terminate teachers who have passed away. Meanwhile, the NFL comes under increasing pressure to settle the referee strike following a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tennessee Titans in which the replacement refs call four balks and three traveling violations, and ultimately declare that the winner is the Green Bay Packers. At the end of the month the strike is settled, and the replacement refs move on to their new role as Florida elections officials.
In other sports labor action, the National Hockey League locks out its players, lending credence to rumors that there is still a National Hockey League.
In space news, NASA scientists remotely analyze a soil sample collected by the Curiosity Waco rover and report that it contains “an alarmingly high level of spit.”
Apple releases the much-anticipated iPhone 5, which receives some criticism for its glitchy map software and the fact that it uses a different connector from all the other iPhones and iPhone accessories. Also, it can neither make nor receive telephone calls. Nevertheless it is a big hit with Apple fans, who line up to buy it even as they eagerly anticipate the forthcoming iPhone 5S, which, rumor has it, will require 3-D glasses.
Speaking of criticism, in ...
October
... President Obama is widely faulted for his performance in the first presidential debate, during which he appears moody and detached, several times stopping in mid-answer to go outside to smoke a cigarette. The debate moderator, veteran PBS newsman Jim Lehrer, at first seems a bit overwhelmed by the task, but after a few minutes he falls asleep. This leaves the field wide open for a confident and assertive Mitt Romney, who, in a span of 90 minutes, manages to explain his five-point economic-recovery plan a total of 37 times, running up an indoor record presidential-debate score of 185 points. Romney also demonstrates his understanding of the issues facing ordinary Americans by promising to cut federal funding for Big Bird.
Stung by the defeat, Obama closets himself with his advisers, who coach him on debating techniques such as smiling, pretending to listen and forming complete sentences without a teleprompter. Obama is much more aggressive in the next two debates, at one point pulling out his BlackBerry on-camera and ordering a missile strike against Syria.
In the vice presidential debate, Joe Biden gives Paul Ryan a noogie.
With polls showing a very tight race, the final weeks of the campaign are a textbook example of what this great experiment called “American democracy” is all about: two opposing political parties, each with valid positions, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on comically simplistic radio and TV ads designed by consultants to terrify ill-informed half-wits.
But the month’s big story is “superstorm” Sandy, which devastates a large swath of the Northeast despite the courageous efforts of hundreds of TV news reporters standing on the beaches telling people to stay off the beaches. New York City is hit hard, but Mayor Bloomberg responds swiftly, ordering police to arrest anybody suspected of taking advantage of the disaster by consuming soft drinks from containers larger than 16 ounces, which could potentially cause them to become obese.
Fidel Castro, for what is believed to be the 17th time in the past eight years, dies.
In the month’s most inspiring story, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumps from the Red Bull Stratos helium balloon 24 miles high and breaks the sound barrier in free fall, reaching a speed of 834 mph and thrilling a worldwide broadcast audience before being shot down by a Predator drone sponsored by Monster, a competing energy drink.
In entertainment news, Walt Disney purchases Lucasfilm and releases a trailer for the forthcoming “Star Wars Episode VII,” in which Darth Vader is a talking penguin.
Speaking of surprises, in ...
November
... after an election cycle in which an estimated $6 billion was spent on races for the presidency and Congress, the American voters — who by every account are disgusted with Washington and desperately want change — vote to keep everything pretty much the same. President Obama wins all the key battleground states except Florida, where, after a week of ballot-counting delays caused by denture adhesive in the scanners, election officials finally announce that the state’s 29 electoral votes will be awarded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the election finally over and the federal government headed toward a “fiscal cliff” that could plunge the nation back into a recession, Congress, realizing the urgency of the situation, rolls up its sleeves and gets on with the crucial job of remaining gridlocked, while President Obama heads for Burma, a vital U.S. strategic partner located somewhere abroad.
In other election developments, voters in Colorado and Washington approve the legalization of recreational marijuana use, and also order $257 million worth of delivery pizzas.
Speaking of nutrition: A bankruptcy court grants Hostess Brands permission to close its business, posing a serious threat to the nation’s strategic Twinkie supply. Fortunately, an agreement is worked out under which Twinkies will be produced by a new entity. Unfortunately, that entity is: Iran.
In other disturbing national security news, David Petraeus, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and retired four-star general, is embroiled in scandal for engaging in unauthorized covert action with his official biographer, Paula Broadwell, who, according to the FBI, sent threatening e-mails to Tampa social event planner Jill Kelley concerning both Petraeus and four-star general John Allen, who, while serving as U.S. commander in Afghanistan, found the time to exchange more than 20,000 pages worth of communications with Kelley, which means that either they were e-mailing a Stephen King novel to each other, or they were planning some kind of social event, if you catch our drift. Petraeus resigns and is immediately placed in charge of the U.S. Secret Service. The White House issues a statement assuring the nation that President Obama knew nothing about any of this and was “unaware of the existence of any so-called Central Intelligence Agency.”
In the World Series, a team with a payroll $65 million lower than that of the Yankees is defeated by a team with a payroll $80 million lower than that of the Yankees, leading to the inescapable conclusion that the Yankees need a bigger payroll.
Toward the end of the month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is dispatched on an urgent mission to try to bring peace to one of the world’s most troubled spots: the Moultrie, Ga., Walmart, where mobs of crazed Black Friday shoppers are viciously assaulting each other over discounted cellphones. Clinton soon realizes the futility of her mission and heads for the Middle East, where people are more reasonable.
Speaking of troubled, in ...
December
... there is much fiscal-cliff drama in Washington as Congress and the White House — after months of engaging in cynical posturing and political gamesmanship while putting off hard decisions about a dangerous crisis that everyone knew was coming — finally get serious about working together to come up with a way to appear to take decisive action without actually solving anything.
On a brighter note: Two months after superstorm Sandy ravaged New York, electrical power is finally restored to all areas of the city. It is immediately turned back off by order of Mayor Bloomberg, on the grounds that electricity can be used to watch television, which the mayor notes is a leading cause of obesity. In retaliation, the San Francisco City Council bans molecules, noting that they are “a key ingredient in sugar.”
Speaking of consumer danger: In the largest product recall ever, the Food and Drug Administration orders supermarkets to pull 148 million of the new Iranian-made Twinkies off the shelves after one of them explodes, obliterating most of Cleveland.
In science news, physicists announce that they think they might have discovered a totally new tiny invisible particle, named the “Weems foomple,” which the scientists say could be even more important than the Higgs boson, although to be absolutely certain that it truly exists they say they are going to need, quote, “billions more research dollars,” as well as “a large boat.”
On a more troubling note, NASA scientists announce that their analysis of data transmitted back to Houston by the Curiosity Waco rover shows conclusively that Earth is uninhabitable.
As the year finally draws to close, a festive crowd gathers in Times Square for the traditional New Year’s Eve illuminated ball drop, counting down the seconds and cheering the magical moment when, at the stroke of midnight, the ball is destroyed by an unmanned Predator drone. This seems to be a bad omen. Yet, as 2013 dawns, there is hope that maybe, just maybe, the new year will be better; that this will be the year when we finally break the cycle of perpetual idiocy, the year when, at long last, we find a way to ...
WHAP.
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